What The Provincetown Cluster Tells Us About The Delta Variant

Also: the magic of sweat, and why it's so awesome. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [View in Browser]( | [Donate [WBUR]]( [WBUR](  [WBUR]( August 2, 2021 Hideable intro copy Good Monday everyone, By now, you have surely heard the news about the delta variant. For a while, it seemed like fully vaccinated folks could frolic through the world without worrying too much about the coronavirus. But, after looking at new data from the Mass. Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that is clearly not entirely the case anymore. Health officials studied infections from the recent Provincetown cluster and found that about 75% occurred in fully vaccinated people. Four out of five of those infected, fully-vaccinated people were symptomatic. As Bronwyn MacInnis, a genomic epidemiologist at the Broad Institute told me, the volume of symptomatic breakthrough cases was "alarming." The data suggest that the delta variant, which caused about 90% of the cases in Provincetown — and the overwhelming majority of cases in the country right now — can make vaccinated people sick. Not too sick, though. Health experts emphasize that the most important thing is still to get vaccinated. The shots still work extremely well to protect you from severe illness, complications and death. Only four fully vaccinated people in the Provincetown cluster went to the hospital, and there have been no deaths. Even so, the rules are changing for vaccinated people. The state and the CDC both issued new guidance encouraging vaccinated individuals to wear masks indoors in higher risk regions, or if you live with someone who is immunocompromised or you have COVID-19 risk factors yourself. Read about this and more below. Stay safe! And a quick note: I'll be on vacation next week, and so will this newsletter. See you in two weeks! — Angus Chen, health reporter newsletters@wbur.org Must Reads url[Provincetown Data Suggests Vaccines Protect Against Complications, But Not Delta Transmission]( An investigation of the Provincetown cluster revealed new information about the delta variant and how it can spread, even among vaccinated people. [Read more](.   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    [No Mask Mandate For Mass. Schools, And State Suggests Vaccinated Students Shed Masks]( Fully vaccinated students may not need to mask up in class, state officials declared, but teachers are not happy with the new guidance. One union representative calls the new policy "reckless." [Read more](.  [Why Sweat Is A Human Superpower]( It might feel gross to be sweaty, but your sweat does tell a story of your health, diet and activity. It's also an evolutionary innovation that made humans more athletic and powerful. [Read more](.  Support the news [Springfield COVID Vaccine Rate Remains Stubbornly Low As Delta Variant Spreads]( Massachusetts has one of the highest vaccinated rates in the country — but a few areas still lag behind the rest of the state. With the delta variant now dominant, catching up is more important than ever. [Read more](.  [Residents Of 5 Mass. Counties Should Wear Masks Due To COVID Transmission, CDC Says]( The CDC revised its guidance for fully vaccinated individuals after reviewing new data out of Massachusetts. [Listen here](. What We're Reading As any cat owner knows, our beloved felines are much maligned in society and popular culture. It may not seem that way, if you enjoy internet memes, but people love to hate on cats and even go so far as tending to [swipe left on people with cat photos in dating profiles.]( just one example of sneering dog elitism. Cats, as it turns out, are also underappreciated in science, as a few geneticists wrote last week. Their genomes and physiology are better suited as a model for understanding and studying human diseases than dogs, and scientists have really high quality genomes in cats for doing that work. [The New York Times spoke with the researchers about how cats are truly better than dogs in more ways than one](. “ It’s a wake-up call as to how transmissible the delta variant is, and a reality check on what the vaccines can do but also what some of their limitations are — Dr. Jacob Lemieux in ["Provincetown Data Suggests Vaccines Protect Against Complications, But Not Delta Transmission"]( ICYMI [Cooling Aid Shifts From Luxury To Necessity For Some In Mass.]( As the world faces more hot days due to climate change, the need for cooling is moving from a luxury to a health necessity. Some cities and nonprofits are working to provide ACs for free to residents who need them now more than ever. [Read more](.      Did you know scientists are looking at how getting tattoos can be a[powerful way to heal from trauma?]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news [WBUR]( [WBUR][WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [Stop getting this newsletter by updating your preferences.]( I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters](. Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2021 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved. You signed up for this newsletter at wbur.org. Our mailing address is: WBUR-FM 890 Commonwealth AveBoston, MA 02215-1205 [Add us to your address book](